Pearl and Reed’s Logistic

Curve Theory
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 Pearl and Reed’s Logistic Curve
Theory
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• Several developments of techniques in the field of

mathematics encouraged attempts to formulate
mathematical laws of population growth.

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• The availability of data on population facilitated the
verification of these laws. Quetelet, a Belgian
astronomer, was the first to adopt a mathematical

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approach to the study of population growth.
• Raymond Pearl and J. Reed Published a book
“ Biology of Population”.
 Pearl and Reed’s Logistic Curve
Theory
• The most important among the mathematical theories was the
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"theory of logistic" growth of population developed independently
by Pearl and Reed in the United States.
• Population increases like fruit flies. Population will increase very
fast and diminish very fast.

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• According to Pearl's and Reed's logistic law, the growth of
population occurs in cycles and "within the cycle and in a specially

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limited area or universe, growth in the first half of the cycle starts
slowly, but the absolute movement per unit of time increases
steadily until the midpoint of the cycle is reached.
• After this point, the increment per unit of time becomes steadily
smaller until the end of the cycle."The total population according to
this law of the logistic curve follows a S-shaped curve.
 S shaped Curve
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 Pearl and Reed’s Logistic Curve
Theory
• Poor people are with lesser taste and hence
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closer and hence reproduce more.
• Though the law of logistic growth of
population initially attracted a great deal of

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attention, its usefulness for estimating and
projecting future population size and as a

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theory of population has since been widely
questioned.
 Pearl and Reed’s Logistic Curve
Theory : Critcism
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• This theory has been criticised mainly on

socio-cultural and economic grounds.

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• This curve can’t be taken as law.
• Human beings can’t be compared with fruit

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flies.
• It cannot be taken for granted that wealthy
people produce less.
• When population grows, it comes down, but in
never happens in slums or labour class.